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If you’re looking for a polite topic of conversation to raise at your next gathering of word lovers, we’ve got just the ticket. The French word étiquette means “ticket”; its direct French ancestor also referred to a label attached to something for description or identification. Spaniards of the 16th-century adopted the French word (altering it to etiqueta), and used it to refer to the written protocols describing the behavior demanded of those who appeared at court. Eventually, etiqueta came to be applied to the court ceremonies themselves as well as to the documents which outlined their requirements. Word of this linguistic development got back to the French, who then expanded their word’s meaning to include “proper court behavior” along with its “label” sense. By the middle of the 18th century English speakers had taken on etiquette as their own, applying it to the rules that indicate the proper and polite way to behave, whether in the presence or royalty or not.
Examples of etiquette in a Sentence
Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 July 2025
As our society becomes increasingly immersed in the digital age, manners and etiquette have been thrown out the proverbial window, along with social cues at in-person events.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 21 July 2025
The trip included an awkward moment which garnered a lot of attention, when the President broke royal etiquette by walking in front of the Queen.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 14 July 2025
Leighton said that’s exactly the kind of etiquette slight people need to endeavor to avoid.
—Zach Wichter, USA Today, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for etiquette
Cite this Entry
“Etiquette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etiquette. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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